Pharmacy Assistant - Patient Services Band 2/3

Pharmacy Assistant - Patient Services Band 2/3

Are you looking for a career within Pharmacy that offers excellent development prospects? We offer those joining us an exciting opportunity to start their Pharmacy career as a Band 2 Pharmacy Assistant in a forward-thinking, diverse and inclusive department where we adopt an open, honest culture where all voices are heard and ideas for improvement are encouraged through our Patient First Initiatives.

Our Pharmacy department is a fast-paced environment where you will need to be able to react flexibly both as an individual and as part of a team. As part of the Patient Services team, you will be instrumental in our success at delivering excellent patient care.

You will commence as a Band 2 (£23,615 per annum). All relevant training will be provided under the supervision of the Pharmacy Learning and Development Team.

After successful completion of all in-house training and the Buttercups training course, you will be assessed by the Pharmacy Patient Services Manager/Lead before the final sign off and if successful, you will automatically progress to a Band 3 (£24,071 - £25,674 per annum).

See our Pharmacy team here.

Main Duties of the Job

1. Receipt of prescription and drug requests from patients and staff.
2. Selling over the counter medicines to members of the public and staff.
3. Handling NHS prescription charge transactions.
4. Accurate and timely dispensing of prescriptions, including controlled drugs.
5. Generation of labels and booking out of medicines using pharmacy stock control system.
6. Final accuracy checking of controlled drug stock requisitions.
7. Providing pharmacy services at ward level.
8. Replenishing the stock of dispensing sundries (bottles, cartons, etc).
9. Dealing with enquiries from wards, departments, patients, and members of the public.
10. Receiving requests and handing out medication to patients and members of staff.
11. Delivering medication to wards and departments.
12. Processing the return of medication from the wards and departments to Pharmacy.
13. All activity undertaken within NBT Pharmacy is compliant with Good Distribution Practice (EU GDP 2013/C 343/01).

Please see the job description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.

About Us

North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialties. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.

We commit to treating each patient as an individual with respect and dignity, aiming to deliver excellent clinical outcomes and a first-class experience for everyone who uses our services.

North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Bristol is consistently voted the best place to live in the UK, with vibrant local music, arts, and gastronomic scenes, a wide range of modern and state-of-the-art shopping, recreation, and leisure facilities.

We offer a permanent contract of full or part-time hours in excess of 22.5 hours per week with flexible working available.

Working hours are within 08:00-19:00 Monday to Friday, partaking in a 1 in 6 Weekend rota 09:00-17:00 plus bank holidays.

Job Responsibilities

This post provides operational support to the dispensary, clinical pharmacy, and distribution teams. It is line managed by the Patient Services Leadership team.

To assist in the day-to-day duties of the dispensary, clinical pharmacy, and all aspects of patient services within the pharmacy department. This includes, but is not limited to, reception cover, general dispensing duties, assisting with stock control, and delivering to ward and department areas.

To undertake dispensing of prescriptions in an accurate and timely manner and to use professional knowledge to ensure that such duties are performed in accordance with Good Dispensing Practice.

Confident in the use of all digital systems relating to pharmacy.

To support the accredited medicines optimisation pharmacy technicians and pharmacists at ward level.

To order, pick, deliver, and put away drugs for pharmacy.

Ensure compliance with Good Distribution Practice (EU GDP 2013/C 343/01) undertaken within NBT Pharmacy.

This post requires completion of relevant units of a nationally recognised training course for pharmacy support workers appropriate to the area of work. This will involve providing evidence to support knowledge and work-based competencies.

As a Band 3, the post holder is then eligible to work towards PWDS Medicines Optimisation Unit 1 Managing Patients Medication Requirements. The training will take at least 6 months to 1 year.

Person Specification

Essential and Desirable

• GCSE English and Mathematics Grade A* - C
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Good written and spoken English
• Ability to work well under pressure and on own initiative
• Methodical, tidy worker
• Willing to be trained and instructed
• Self-motivated and able to work as part of a team
• Level 2 Buttercups Pharmacy Support Worker - Dispensary units or equivalent
• Pharmacy Workforce Development South (PWDS) Dispensing Accuracy Programme/Willing to work towards
• Pharmacy Workforce Development South (PWDS) Medicines Optimisation accreditation Unit 1 Managing Patients Medication Requirement/Willing to work towards
• Completion of all NBT Patient Services Pharmacy Assistant competencies.
• Previous employment in hospital/community pharmacy
• Understanding of Wholesale Distribution Authorisation WDA (h), Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such, it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.